Racist text messages lead to SLU investigation

An investigation has been launched by SLU after derogatory comments about President Obama made by one of the school’s baseball players recently came to light.

The comments were made during a group phone chat with several other players in May, 2015 while the team was on a trip to Washington DC. Several players were discussing where to eat when one of them referred to President Obama as a “watermelon eating baboon.”

One of the players took a screenshot of the comments and then sent it to a roommate, who held onto the photo before showing it to a friend. That friend reported it. Recently, the screenshot ended up on the website Deadspin.

The investigation was launched in early April and the matter has been turned over to the Special Assistant for Diversity and Community Engagement.

“We are moving now to involve the students who were injured, other black students on campus and the baseball team. We want to do something that shows the community that statements of that kind that were made in that group thread do not reflect our values at all,” said Dr. Jonathan Smith, Special Assistant for Diversity and Inclusion.